Monday, February 20, 2012

The Québec Government Supports the Consolidation and Improvement of Shared Transportation in Gaspésie and the Îles-de-la-Madeleine

Gaspé, February 18, 2012  The Minister of Health and Social Services and Minister responsible for the Bas-Saint-Laurent and Gaspésie-Îles-de-la-Madeleine regions, Dr. Yves Bolduc, the MNA for Gaspé, Georges Mamelonet, and the MNA for Bonaventure, Damien Arsenault, today announced, on behalf of the Minister of Finance, Raymond Bachand, the implementation of a plan to improve regional shared transportation services initiated by the Réseau de transport collectif de la Gaspésie et des Îles-de-la-Madeleine.

In particular, the plan provides for improved service by adding routes in municipalities not served by the existing network, as well as increased frequency of service for certain existing routes.

To fund the improvement in these shared transportation services, elected officials of the regional county municipalities of Gaspésie and the Îles-de-la-Madeleine agglomeration have asked that a gasoline tax be applied in the Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine administrative region.

To respond to the request of these elected officials, the Minister of Finance, Raymond Bachand, today released an information bulletin confirming an increase of 1 cent per litre of the fuel tax applicable to gasoline in their administrative region effective July 1, 2012, to be allocated to fund the improvement in shared transportation services. This increase will generate some $1.5 million in additional revenue annually.

“The improvement in shared transportation services will help increase the mobility of citizens in the region, invigorate the occupation of the territory and foster everyone’s participation in social and economic life through better access to the labour market as well as to social, health and education services,” Minister Bolduc pointed out.

“Today, our government is responding to the elected officials of Gaspé and the Îles-de-la-Madeleine who consider shared transportation to be a driver of economic and social development. Thanks to this source of additional revenues, it will be possible to meet the needs of our population and efficiently coordinate the provision of transportation in our region,” the MNAs for Mamelonet and Arsenault said.
The MNA for Îles-de-la-Madeleine, Germain Chevarie, also expressed satisfaction with today’s announcement, which will also benefit the people of the Îles-de-la-Madeleine. “With today’s announcement, our government is showing just how much importance it places on the vitality of local and regional communities,” he added.

“Since 2010, the services offered by the Réseau de transport collectif de la Gaspésie et des Îles-de-la-Madeleine have shown the extent to which shared transportation is a major tool for economic and social development for all of Québec’s communities, including rural ones, and that is why our government supports this initiative,” Minister Bolduc concluded.

Information Bulletin 2012-2, released today, describes the application details of the tax increase. The document is available on the website of the Ministère des Finances at: www.finances.gouv.qc.ca.

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